FBI Agent Pierce interrogates Max. Meanwhile, his friends race to save him, enlisting the help of Nacedo and Sheriff Valenti.
(Originally aired on May 8, 2000)
| Inspirational Speakers |
Nacedo: Those are your powers, Michael. Everything you can do is human. You're just programmed to be several thousand years ahead of mankind. But from what Isaw earlier, you barely tapped into what you're capable of. |
Sheriff Valenti: Mirrors or no mirrors, there were two Max Evans standing right in front of me. And now one of them is in the hands of Agent Pierce and the Special Unit, and I'm just hoping it's not the one we all care about. |
Max (to Pierce): I can't tell you what I don't know. |
Written by Jason Katims and Thania St. John
Directed by Jonathan Frakes
GUEST STARS
David Conrad – FBI Agent Pierce
Jim Ortlieb – Ed Harding/ Nacedo
Jason Winston George – Nacedo/ FBI Agent
Emilie De Ravin – Tess Harding
WHAT HAPPENED
Max is being held in the white room shown at the end of last week’s episode. FBI Agent Pierce speaks from a speaker above.
According to Pierce, Max is "someplace no one can find" him, and he'd better reveal everything.
Max offers his name and address and invites Pierce to call his parents. In return, Pierce offers an easy way and a hard way, and then asks Max the name of his home planet.
"Earth" is not an acceptable answer. (more spoilers)
ANALYSIS
With one week to go before the season finale, this is just the episode that Roswell needs, and much of the credit for this feat must go to the series creator and producers who wrote and directed the show.
Jonathan Frakes shows off a variety of sophisticated directorial tricks here. Jump cuts and shaky cameras were put to good use to show Max's torture.
Similarly, the effects used to highlight Isabel’s trip into Max’s drugged mind demonstrate nicely how circumstances shape perception.
In a quieter moment, Frakes frames Liz’s entrance to Valenti’s office by silhouette. We see Liz's shadow cross the office door, hesitate, and then enter.
The shot marks an important transition in the development of the series – someone finally confides in Sheriff Valenti – in a beautiful, understated way.
The writers built suspense throughout while keeping the episode focused. Max's escape, and the sheriff's intervention is the perfect place for the episode to end leave viewers until next week’s conclusion.
Two father figures
Against the action backdrop, "The White Room" features a strong contrast between Roswell's two father figures: the human Valenti and the alien Nacedo.
For some time Michael has looked to Nacedo as his hope for family. Nacedo would be the loving father that Michael never had, giving him back his heritage and teaching him how to live.
On the other hand, Valenti has often figured as a monster, at least according to the teens, who believe he is ruthless and vindictive.
This episode reverses the dynamic. Now, Michael sees that Nacedo is obsessed with his own goals and is not compassionate, while Valenti wonders aloud to the human teens, trying to piece together what he saw in the Mirror Maze.
In admitting that he’s losing sleep over Max’s safety, Valenti shows the kids his vulnerability while offering to help.
Nacedo's plan is mostly effective at freeing Max, but would have failed without Valenti’s intervention. Instead of seeing the plan through, Nacedo tries to attack Pierce and his captured.
Valenti's appearance is fortunate for Max and Michael. He’s there at just the right time – and it doesn’t hurt that he’s a fine shot.
The growing division
If the first part of the season demonstrated how human the aliens are, recent episodes have emphasized their alien qualities.
We’ve learned a lot about their powers and origins, but Tess and Nacedo have pushed the aliens away from their human friends. Liz, Maria, and Alex are left to console themselves in the UFO Center, and they remain in town as the aliens go out to the military base.
But Liz and company are far from useless here. Liz's decision to send in Valenti is an important one, thought it may spark an angry reaction from the aliens – especially Michael – next week.
The separation between our teen characters is growing and is one part of the web of plotlines converging for next Monday’s season finale. The day after it airs, the WB Network will announce its plans for Roswell for next season.
Then we will know just how big the cliffhanger really is.
WHAT WE LEARN
The Evans family lives at 1625 Maria Lane.
At the time of the crash, four alien bodies were found: two corpses and two live specimens -- one of which, Nacedo, escaped.
The alien teens are genetically enhanced humans, what all humans might be like in several thousand years. Their abilities come from utilizing the full power of the brain.
Tess is able to project illusions that others accept as true.
The alien teens look normal under X-rays because they have a human bone structure. Their blood cells, however, are radically different.
Nacedo has a different physiology than the other aliens.
DANGLING PLOT THREADS
Did Nacedo survive? How will Isabel and Tess escape?
Who were the other aliens at the crash site? What happened to the alien who was studied?
How many of the recent psychic flashes have been the result of Tess's powers? What about Isabel's "pregnancy"?
Who programmed the alien teens? Why?
REALITY (OR ROSWELL) CHECK
Eagle Rock Military Base is fictional.
How does Pierce gain possession of the second orb so quickly? The timing seems a bit too quick for the pace of the episode.
TUNE IN NEXT WEEK WHEN
"Max Evans learns his destiny and is forced to accept his preordained fate." Sheriff Valenti has some questions of his own, as Max and Isabel meet – their real mother? Find out, in "Destiny", the season finale.
What do you think? Send your comments to the critic or editor.
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